By Christine F. Herrera

THE Senate will summon on Monday a top Securities and Exchange Commission official to answer allegations that he delayed action against the Legacy Group, which is accused of swindling thousands of depositors and plan holders.

Over at the House, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the committee on banks, of which he is a member, would get to the bottom of reports that Legacy Group owner Celso de los Angeles was giving away perks to government regulators, lawmakers, judges and law enforcement officials to protect his pyramid operation.

Among those to be summoned are Commissioner Jesus Martinez, Para?aque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Nina Antonio Valenzuela, and Court of Appeals Justices Apolinario Bruselas, Bienvenido Reyes and Mariflor Punzalan-Castillo.

Reports claim that De los Angeles was a godfather at the wedding of Martinez?s child.

Zialcita was implicated by his staffer, Leila Umana, who claimed that the congressman received P100,000 a month in consultancy fees from 2006 to October 2008 from De los Angeles, who is also mayor of Sto. Domingo, Albay.

Zialcita admitted that De los Angeles was a friend, but denied receiving money from him.

?I have never received P100,000 from De los Angeles. Not once. I admit I asked a donation from a bank in my district, but I only got P20,000 and that was used for the feeding program,? Zialcita told House reporters. ?Nothing followed after that.?

The Makati judge would be made to explain what prompted her to issue a temporary restraining order that stopped the central bank from investigating De los Angeles? rural banks and pre-need firms.

The three appellate court justices upheld Valenzuela?s ruling, which was later struck down by the Supreme Court.

Rodriguez said the lower court rulings hurt the public interest as the law authorized the central bank to immediately act on banks facing insolvency.

?We want to find out from Martinez if the reports were true. There is a clear case of conflict of interest because De los Angeles had three pre-need firms that should have been regulated by the SEC. [What explains] the SEC?s inaction? Did Martinez have anything to do with it?? Rodriguez asked.

?What took the SEC so long? Had they acted immediately, thousands of depositors and plan holders should have been saved from getting victimized.?

In fact, De los Angeles would not have had a chance to go to court if the SEC had acted immediately, Rodriguez said.

Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona said the House committee on ethics, which he heads, would only investigate Zialcita if a complaint was filed against him.

Rodriguez said he wanted all concerned to ?come clean.?

?We are after the truth here. We are after transparency,? Rodriguez told Standard Today.

?How was De los Angeles able to get away with his crime for so long? As to those unfairly accused, we want them to air their side and clear their names.?

Rodriguez said the panel would also summon Legacy Group Citizens? Crime Watch Center executive director Ramon Di?o, who told the panel in a letter that the mayor was the ?head of a strongly entrenched criminal syndicate.?

In a letter to Manila Rep. Jaime Lopez, chairman of the committee, Di?o said the syndicate comprised an ?inner core of corporate officers from the Legacy Group, high-ranking government officials [especially from the Monetary Board, Bangko Sentral, SEC, PDIC], legislators, members of the judiciary, including members of the NBI, the military and the PNP.

?The syndicate aims to fleece our people with their hard-earned money and then pass this responsibility on to the government,? he said.

He described De los Angeles as a ?corporate frankenstein.?

Delos Angeles denied Di?o?s accusations under Rodriguez?s questioning.

He said Di?o had tried to extort money from him twice in exchange for not spreading ?derogatory information? against Legacy, which led to a case before a Makati City court.

Delos Angeles said he had pictures to prove Di?o was arrested for extortion in an entrapment operation a few years ago.

But a coalition of plan holders yesterday presented two former employees of the Legacy Group who are under the Senate?s protective custody.

The witnesses said they sought the help of the Parents Enabling Parents coalition to reveal the anomalies taking place within Delos Angeles? company.

At a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, yesterday, PEP president Philip Piccio said the witnesses, Namnama Pasetes Santos, 40, and Carolina Hi?ola, 49, would reveal sensitive details about the Legacy Group?s operations at the Senate hearing.

Piccio said an SEC commissioner was ?involved? but refused to provide details.

Rodriguez said the hearings in the House would continue when Congress resumed sessions on April 13. Congress adjourns today for a month-long recess. With Gigi Mu?oz David